This application relates to a control method and device for a controllable device such as a consumer electronics product (e.g., a digital television) and, more particularly, to such a control method and device that simplifies certain operations such as, by way of example, channel tuning operations for a digital television.
With the advent of digital television, the complexity of control operations such as channel tuning has increased. For example, digital channels often include minor channels (or sub-channels) so that a user not only has to specify the main channel (e.g., channel 256), but also the sub-channel (e.g., 1, 2, 3, etc.) The main channel and sub-channel are typically delimited or separated by a delimiter such as a dash (“-”) or a period (“.”) so that a channel 256-3 would be tuned by sequentially pressing the “2”, “5”, “6”, “-” and “3” buttons on a channel tuning device such as a remote control. Consequently, a viewer or user must press five buttons to tune to a particular digital channel. This complicates tuning due to the possibility of erroneous key presses and also reduces the speed at which a viewer may quickly tune from one channel to another (i.e., channel surf).
Various mechanisms have been developed to purportedly simplify channel tuning operations. For example, interactive program guides allow viewers to see program listings, descriptions, etc. However, such program guides can themselves be complicated to operate, thereby reducing a viewer's ability to quickly tune from one channel to another. Another technique for simplifying channel tuning operations involves favorite channel lists in which a viewer can configure a list of favorite channels and tune from one channel to another on the list. However, this technique often involves a dedicated remote control key, requiring the manufacturer to include an additional remote control key and adding to the complexity of the remote control. In addition, the favorite channel key is often positioned differently for different remote controls and the favorite channel function may be invoked differently from one television to another. Thus, the favorite channel tuning operation is inconsistent from one remote control and/or television to another.
This application describes an illustrative example control method and device that reduces the complexity of control operations for a controllable device such as a television or other consumer electronic product. For example, a viewer or user may tune to television channels using only two key presses. Specifically, in one example implementation, a viewer can associate up to ten different television channels with the digit keys 0-9 on a tuning device such as a remote control. Thus, for example, channel 256-3 may be associated with “0”, channel 54-2 with “1”, etc. To tune to these channels, the viewer simply presses a predetermined key such as a delimiter key (e.g., “-” or “.”) and then presses one of the digits. Thus, pressing “-” followed by “0” will tune the television to channel 256-3. This operation reduces the number of keys needed to tune to a channel In addition, because most remote controls include a delimiter key, there is no need to add new keys to the remote control. Further, the channel tuning operation will be fairly consistent from one remote control to another because the delimiter key tends to be positioned among, or at least adjacent to, the digit keys.
These and other features and advantages of the control method and device will be better understood from a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.